Thursday, May 9, 2013

He cites the following as inspiration: feedback solos, David Cronenberg films, okra, forgotten synthesizers, men who do not posture, reading about old classmates being blown apart by IEDs in Iraq, that sallow and sickly lighting that often bathes the exterior of gas stations at night, waxwings, Willem Dafoe, Monster in My Pocket, the vile-but-wonderful machine that is the human body, 8-bit samplers, negative population growth, poorly-written suicide notes, Faxanadu, seeing your parents age in leaps and bounds between visits, soul food, highly sexual music, highly sexual dancing, aleatoric determination

"Combat Shock" is the new, 11-track, sonic result of two years worth of processing a divorce, the suicide of a close friend, multiple family members passing away, the overdose of Kozak's sister, and the monumentally destructive effect that the confluence of these events have had on those closest to him. He spent the fall and winter hiding in his ramshackle apartment writing and recording it with a bass guitar, microphones, a ton of old synthesizers and samplers, a harmonica, a Fender telecaster, assorted percussion, Ableton Live, and some stand-up friends. It's a love letter to those who have persevered after repeatedly being hacked away at the knees.